Process and apparatus for treating tobacco.



M. C. PATTERSON. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TOBACCO.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6.1914.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

M. C. PATTERSON.

PROCESS ANDAPPARATUS FOR TREATING TOBACCO.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. 1914.

1 ,1 64,1 1%. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

(\l f? w g\ M Hlllllllllllllll g M. C. PATTERSON.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TOBACCO.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1914.

1 164 1 1%. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

entrain eras rnn r @FFJIGE.

MALV'ERN C. PATTERSON, 0T5 RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING TOBACCO.

Application filed November 6, 1914.

drawings,- forming part of this specification,

and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon. This invention relates to an improved process for making granulated or finely cut tobacco.

In the manufacture of granulated or finely cut tobacco for pipe and cigarette smoking, such as is commonly seen on the market, it

has been customary to strip the stems fromthe tobacco leaves preparatory to the cutting, or granulating process, for the reason that only in the very cheapest grades of tobacco are the stems ground with the leaf, the quality of the tobacco being considerably impaired by their presence. The process of stripping the stems from the leaves preliminary to granulating is necessarily a very expensive and wasteful one. It has been found, however, that the entire stem need not be discarded in the production of high grade granulated tobacco, but only the thick, rank portion near the butt end of the leaf.

Among the objects of the present invention is the elimination of the expensive,

wasteful and tedious process of stripping the stems from the leaves before cutting or granulating; and the provision of an improved process, enabling every portion of the leaf to be utilized, together with the small and unobjectionable parts of the stem,

- a large percentage of which have'been heretofore wasted.

In the improved process forming part of the invention, the tobacco leaves are so treated that only the thicker portions of the stems at the butt ends of the leaves are removed, the entire remaining portions or tips of the leaves being utilized. In carrying out the process, the tobacco leaves are first cut into sections, the butt ends being separated from the tips and the parts of' the leaves at the butt ends reduced to fine particles without first removing the stems. The fine particles of tobacco are next separated from the stems and waste materials, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3141, 1915.

Serial No. 870,623.

combined with the thin tips ofthe leaves, after which the entire mixture is treated by a suitable flavoring solution. During the flavoring process the larger pieces, or tips of the leaves, form a vehicle for supporting the fine particles of tobacco while the mass is being treated to flavor and dry thesame. During the flavoring and drying the particles cling to the leaf sections and consequently it is possible, by mixing the fine particles, after grinding, with the tips, to pass the entire mass directly through the solution, enabling the solution to permeate every part of the tobacco. When the flavoring treatment has been completed, the masses of tobacco are dried, preferably by passing the same through rolls for preliminarily squeezing out the flavoring liquor and then passing them through a drier. Finally, the dried product is pressed and recut or granulated in the ordinary way and prepared for the market.

A full understanding of the improved" process will best be obtained by reference to the ensuing detail description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating an apparatus for treating the tobacco; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail View, illustrating a breaker roll for granulating the tobacco; and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing successive stages in the process of treating the tobacco.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views, the uncut tobacco leaves are fed on a chain conveyer, comprising, in the present instance, a pair of chains 1. and 2, each chain being mounted on sprockets 3, 3 and 4, 4 The sprockets 3 and 4 are driven by a shaft 5, to which rotation is imparted by means of a pulley 6; sprockets 3 and 4 being mounted on an idler shaft 7. These shafts are journaled at the opposite ends of a table 8, over which the chain conveyer travels. Mounted on said table is a cutting element 9, preferably in the form of a circular saw driven by a pulley 10, mounted on a shaft 11. The chain conveyer advances the tobacco leaves, as they are placed thereon, and the cutting element 9 severs them on a line which will separate the heavy butt ends of the stems from'the small and unobj ectionable tip ends, portions ofthe body of the leaves, of course, remaining with each part of the stems. To

protect the operator, while feeding the topartition plate 15, the forward end of which extends over the saw and forms a guard therefor. The tobacco leaves are placed on the conveyer in such manner that they are severed transversely by the cutting element into two sections, the tips of the leaves passing along-on one side of the dividing plate 15 and are allowed to fall on the floor, while the butt ends of the leaves pass along the opposite side of the plate and are deposited in a hopper 16. The butt ends of the leaves falling into the hopper 16 are carried by a conveyer 17 to a mechanism for reducing them to fine particles. The conveyer 17 is preferably incased and its casing 18 has a steam pipe connection 19 for supplying steam to moisten the tobacco during its progress to the said mechanism. At its upper end, the conveyer 17 may be driven by a pulley 20 mounted on a shaft 21, which drives the sprocket 22 while the lower end of the belt passes around an idler sprocket 23.

When the butt end of the tobacco leavesreach the upper portion of the conveyer 17 they are deposited in a hopper 24 which delivers them into a chamber 25. Within the chamber 25, are a plurality of breaker rolls, preferably two, 26 and 27, fixed 011 shafts 28, 29, and driven by pulleys 30, 31. The

breaker rolls are provided with a plurality fine particles by the rolls 26, .27, the mass is allowed to fall into a separator for the purpose of removing the stems, and other waste materials. In the form shown this comprises a receptacle 35, the interior of which is provided with a plurality of superimposed screens 36, 37 and 38.' The receptacle 35 is mounted on spring supports 39 secured to the frame-work of the machine,

and is adapted to be reciprocated by a rod 40, connected to an eccentric 41, encircling a shaft 42 driven by a pulley 43. Above the separator is a dust chamber 44, having a connection 45 with a suction fan 46, for carrying away the dust. The tobacco falls on the forward endof the upper screen 36 of the'separator, and is thoroughly shaken by the reciprocation thereof; the larger particles and stems pass off at the open rear end 47 of the screen and are directed by a deflector bar 48 into the path of a blast. The finer particles fall through the interstices of the screen 36, onto the screens 37 and 38, the screening action continuing until every available particle of tobacco is separated from the dust and excessively fine waste matter. The particles of leaf pass off the screens onto a discharge hopper 49 and the dust falls through the screens into a discharge hopper 50, and is directed by a chute 51 to any suitable place for its reception.

As the larger particles of tobacco and stems are shaken OK the upper screen 36, and directed into the blast, the stems, by reason of their heavier weight, fall through an outlet 52 in the blast pipe 53. The blast, generated by a suitable blower 54 driven by-a pulley 55, is so regulated as to carry the leaf particles up the blast pipe to a point where the air will be allowed to escape through a screen 56 and the leaf particles will descend through a chute 60 onto a belt conveyer 61. The belt 61 forms a moving tableon which the leaf particles will be spread and exposed for the removal by hand of any pieces of stem which may be carried over by the blast. The screen 56 is in a chamber 57 usually open to a stack 59, and preferably also in communication through a pipe 58 with the dustchamber 44. This provides a suction which assists the blast in the pipe 53 in carrying away any'remaining particles of dust.

Theleaf particles from the moving table or belt 61 and the particles collected from the hopper 49, are assembled or mixed with the tips of the tobacco leaves. This mixture of leaves and finely cut particles is treated with a flavoring solution, preferably by passing it through a tank, indicated diagramma'tically at 62 in Fig. 5, containing the solution. During. the passage of the tobacco mass through the tank, the tips of the leaves act as a vehicle for carrying the finely cut or granular particles, the granular particles clinging to thetips. .The use of some carrying vehicle is essential for handling the fine particles and practice shows a great economy in utilizing the uncut tips, as it enables the entire mass of tobacco 'to be treated with the lected and the entire mass pressed and cut or ground in the usual way to prepare it for shipment.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the several stages of the tobacco during the preparation thereof in accordance with the improved process,

a indicating a bunch of tobacco leaves prior to being cut by the cutting element 9. When the cutting operation has been completed, the leaves assume the form indicated by b.

' The butt ends are then separated from the tips cl and passed through the grinding device wherein they are ground into particles 6 without removing the stems f. Next, the stems f are removed from the granular particles e by the screening process above described, and, finally, the granular particles are mixed with the tips d and passed through the solution tank 62, the letter 9 indicating the appearance of the tobacco,

while being treated by the flavoring solution.

By manufacturing granulated or finely cut tobacco according to this improved process, an immense saving in time is effected, since it enables a portion of the leaf to be ground without removing the stems manually. In addition, nearly every particle of tobacco available for the market is utilized, the amount of waste being extremely small, as compared with the previous method of stripping the leaves and then subjecting them to the grinding process.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

l. The improved process of treating tobacco which consists in severing each leaf,

reducing a severed portion of a leaf to fine particles, passing the fine particles of to baccothrough a liquid and utilizing an un reduced severed portion of a leaf as a vehicle for carrying the fine particles while passing through the liquid.

2. The improved process of treating tobacco which consists in severing the leaves in such manner that the thicker butt ends of the stems and adherent parts of the leaves are separated from the relatively thin tips, reducing the butt ends to fine particles, and passing the fine particles through a liquid, utilizing the tips as a vehicle for carrying {he fgne particles while passing through the 3. The improved process of treating tobacco which consists in severing the leaves in such manner that the thicker butt ends of particles, uniting the fine particles of tobacco with unreduced severed portions of are separated from the relatively thin tips,

comminuting the butt ends separately, removing the stems, assembling the comminuted masses and the tips into a single mass, treating the entire mass thus assembled with a flavoring solution, and reducing the treated product to granular form.

6. The improved process for making granulated tobacco, which consists in severing the leaves in such manner that. the thicker butt ends are separated from the relatively thin tips, comminuting the butt ends separately, separating the stems, assembling the comminuted masses and the thin tips into a single mass, treating the entire mass thus assembled with a flavoring solution with the thin tips utilized as a vehicle for supporting the ground masses, and finally granulating the entire mass of treated tobacco.

7. The improved process for making granulated tobacco, which consists in severing the leaves in such manner that the thicker butt ends are separated from the relatively thin tips, comminuting the thicker portions sep arately, separating the stems from the comminuted masses of leaf, assembling the comminuted masses and the thin tips into a single mass, passing the entire mass thus assembled through a flavoring solution with the thin tips utilized as a vehicle for supporting the comminuted masses, drying the treated masses in a suitable drier, and finally pressing and granulating the entire product.

8, The improved process for making granulated tobacco, which consists in severing the leaves in such manner that the thicker butt ends are separated from the relatively thin tips, comminuting the thicker butt ends without removing the stems, removing the stems from the comminuted masses of leaf, assembling the comminuted masses and the thin tips into a single mass, and granulating the entire mass thus assembled. I

f 9. The improved process for making granulated tobacco which consists in severing the leaves in such manner that the thicker butt ends are separated from the relatively thin tips, comminuting the butt ends Without removing the stems, removing. the stems from the comminuted masses of leaf, assembling the comminuted masses and the thin tips into a single mass, dipping the mass of tobacco thus assembled into a liquld, with the thin tips utilized as a vehicle for supporting the comminuted masses, drying the dipped tobacco in a suitable drier, and finally cutting or granulating the entire product.

10. The improved process for making granulated tobacco, which consists in sever- 18c ing the leaves in such manner that the thicker butt ends'are separated from the relatively thin tips, granulating the butt ends Without removing the stems, separating the I stems and waste materials from the granular mass of tobacco thus assembled into a flavoring solution with the thin tips utilized as a vehicle for supporting the granular masses, drying the dipped tobacco in a suitable drier, and finally granu'lating the entire product.

11. The improved process for making granulated tobacco, "which consists in severing the leaves in such manner that the thicker butt ends are separated from the relatively thin tips, moistening the butt ends and granulating them separately, removing the stems and waste material from the granular masses, assembling the granular masses and the thin tips into a single mass, passing the mass thus assembled through a flavoring solution, drying the treated tobacco, and finally granulating the entire product.

1 12. The improved process for making granulated tobacco, which consists in reducing portions of the leaves to fine particles" assembling the fine particles with larger por tions of the leaves into a single mass, treating the entire mass with a flavoring solution with the larger portions utilized as a. vehicle for supporting the small particles, and finally granulating the entire treated product. 13. In an apparatus for treating tobacco leaves, the combination of a cutting element arranged to sever each leaf transversely into sections, means for continuously advancing each leafinto the path of the cutting element, reducing and comminuting means for converting severed leaf sectlons 1nto fine particles, means for advancing thebutt end sectlons of the severed leaves to the reducing vancing the butt ends of the leaves to the reducing and comminuting means, and a separator for',removing the stems and Waste materials from the butt ends of the leaves which .have been converted into fine particles bythe reducing and comminuting means.

15. The improved apparatus of the character described, comprising a cutting element for severing the tobacco leaves transversely into sections, means for advancing the leaves into the path of said cutting element, a device for reducing the tobacco leaves to fine particles, a conveyer for advancing the cut sections of tobacco on one side of said cutting element to said device,

means for moistening the tobacco during its advance on said conveyer and a separator for removing the stems and waste materials from the fine particles of tobacco. X

MALVERN O.- PATTERSON.

Witnesses F. D. MASON, D. B. MERRILL. 

